Coupling device for vehicles



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E. P. DoYLE COUPLING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES Origimav Eiled AugustA 21, 1912 `Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

l UNITED STATES -PIA-'rENT OFFICE.

EDWARD P. DOYLE, F PUIILMAN, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGN'ORYTO WILLIAM T. VAN DOEN',

or omesso, InLINoIs, Emsa n. VAN Donn, MID neurons or SAID WILLIAM T. VAN Donn, DEcEAsED.

courante DEVICE non VEIIIcLEs.

Original application nled August 21, 1912, vSerial 716,144, Patent No. 1,208,829, dated December 19,

1926. Divided and this application led December 1, 1916, Serial 1Io."184,431.V Renewed January" p This invention relates to car coupling devices particularly adapted to be used in connection with electrically operated cars or Figure 1 is a side vlew with parts broken away showing 4one form of coupling or connecting device embodying-the invention 2 2 oi? Figure 1; l Figure 3- is. an enlarged sectional 'View of one of the electrical connector elements in art section in its operative osition. igure 4 is a front view o one of the electrical connector elements.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the device shown in-Figure'l.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughouty the several f1 res.

As illustrated 1n Figure 1- I have shown one form of my inventlon. In this construction each-car orcvehicle is provided with the mechanical coupler heads 1 b means am of which vehicles are y mechanica ly connected together. These coupler heads 1 are `preferably` arranged so as to make the air ,connection between the vehicles. Any suitl able arrangement for this purpose may be use Figure 2is a sectional view taken on linev In the particularconstruction illustratedin Figure y1 the coupler heads have con` the valves 2. The engaging faces of the" receiving openings b thespring 9theby holding the coupler( eads in their Ylookin osition. The locking parts 5 are removed rom the recess 7 byl means of the lever 10. Associated with t e coupler` heads are the BERBERE E. vnrDonN, Ex-

electrical coupling devices fork-automatically j making the electrical connections between the cars or vehicles.v As illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 each mechanical coupler head has connected Atherewith ran electrical coupler head consisting of a r'amell provided with a cylinder' 12. .An air connection l leads from one of the'airpi es 2 to the cylinder 12. Within the cylinder 12 is a pisn'ton 14 having a piston rod which projects therefrom and which carries at its end the electrical connector element 15. This electrical connector element is provided on'v oneside with the pins or lugs 16 andon the other side with the soc ets 1'1. Whenvtwo connector elements-are brought together the pins of one element enter'the sockets of the other element thus making the electrical connection. This arrangement insures the proper connection of the. two elements when the cars arey brought together. The electrical connectors are connected with the pins 16 and sockets 17. The that when Y the mechanical coupling is made parts are arranged so the electrical connector .elements are brought- Ithe mechanical coupler heads when brought together make the air connections and the air then' passing into cylinder 12, acts upon the piston 14 and the electrical connector elements are automatically moved' out into electrical connection. The spring 18 moves lthe electrical connector element back to its initial position when the mechanical coupler heads are disconnected. Some suitable means is provided for protecting the elec- `trical connector elements from the weather so as to. prevent lcorrosion of the contacts and short circuitin thereof.`

As illustrated in ,Figures 1 to 3 the electrical connector elements are normally contained within an enclosing device 19 provided with the doors 20 and 21 normally closed as shown in Figure 2. When the connector element is nioved outwardly the door-engaging parts 22 and 23 engage said doors and move them out of the way as shown in Figure 3.v These doors are provided with closing springs 24. When the two electrical connector elements engage, the door-engaging part 22 of 4one element enters the receiving opening 25 of the other element and the door-engaging part. 23 of one element enters` the receiving space 26 of the other element. (See Figure 4.) These elef ments are also provided at the topand bottom with the guide-ways 27 which engage suitable guides associated with the enclosing device 19. `When 'the 'mechanical coupler heads are disconnected and the electrical con# nector elements move back into the encloslng device l19 the doors 20. and 21.are auto-- the doorl`20 may close slightly before the door 21 so as to bring the overlapping pice 28 on the outside the door-engaging piece 22 1s made longer than the door-engaging piece 23. By this means the door 2l is made to close-somewhat slower than the ldoor 20.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, I prefer to \make openings 25 and 26 with beveled faces as indicated so that if there is any wear in the guides the parts 23 and 22 entering said beveled faces -will properly center the electricalv connection. tailthe particular construction embodying my invention, but it is, of course, evident that the parts may be varied in many particulars without departing from the spirit of the invention and I therefore do not limit myself to the particular construction shown.

It w1ll be notedJthat in this construction the electrical connector elements and the electrical contacts are protected from the elements, so that although the cars may be left outdoors exposed to the rain,`sle'et andsnow,

. these electrical contacts will be protected electrical contacts are drawn into a pro I have described in de teoting or enclosing device, and that they are then protected from the weather, and that additional protection is secured by means of the doors.l It will further be noted that to make the electrical. coupling the electrical contacts are moved with relation to the enclosing or protecting device so as to provject therefrom, and thus permit them to be `prising an electrical coupling device having two coupler elements one connected with Ieach vehicle, said coupler elements provided with electrical contacts, a protecting casing on each vehicle, each protecting casing containing one of said coupler elements, each coupler element with its electrical contacts being enclosed within its associated casing,

`and means for moving both of said coupler elements, with relation to their associated 4casings so as to cause the electrical contacts to belmoved outside ofthe casings in order that the electrical \\connectioh between the contacts may be completed.

3. A coupling deviceI for vehicles, comprising an electrical cpupling' device having two coupler elements oney connected with each vehicle, said coupler elements provided with electrical contactera protecting casing on each vehicle, each protecting casing containing one of said coupler elements, each coupler element with its electrical contacts being enclosed within its associated casing, and means for moving both of said coupler elements with relation to their associated casings so as to cause the electrical contacts to be moved outside of the casings in order that the electrical connection between the contacts may be completed, doors associated with each casing, said doors engaged by said eoupler elements so as to be' movedout of the way when the coupler elements are moved to their coupling position.

4. A coupling device .for vehicles, comprising an electrical coupling Vdevice .having two coupler elements one connected with each vehicle, said' coupler elements provided with electrical contacts', a protecting4 casing on each vehicle, each protecting caslng containing one of said coupler elements,each coupler element with its electrical contacts being' enclosed within its associated casing, and -means for moving-,both of saidijcoupler' elements with relation "to their associated Acasings so as to cause the electrical contacts to he moved outside of the casings in order that the electrical connection between the contacts nm-y he completed, doors associated with each casing, said doors engaged by Said coupler elements so as to bemoved out of the way when the coupler elements are moved to theirl coupling position, and means for automatically moving said doors to their closed positions when the coupler elements are qmoved into said casings. c

'5. A coupling device for vehicles, comprising an electrical coupling device having two coupler elements, one connected with each vehicle, protecting devices in which said coupling elements are movably mounted, and an automatically actuated door for each protecting device protecting the end thereof when the coupling devices are uncoupled.

In testimony whereof, l atlx my signature 20 this 15th day of November 1916.

EDWARD R DOYLE, 

